The invention is connected to Disclosure Document No. 151212, which was previously filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (via the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks) on 05/30/86 under the Disclosure Document Program, to be retained for two years thereafter and now to be made a part of the file wrapper hereof.
The field of the invention is generally that of power transmission apparatus and particularly apparatus where rotary power is transmitted from a first point to a second spaced point, usually involving rotary-to-translatory movement conversion step at the output end, such as is involved in conventional arrangements including a powered driving wheel, a second spaced wheel which is to be driven and an interconnecting power transmission belt which may be of V-belt, or which may be of a positive engagement type similar to a chain type belt driven by a sprocket wheel and in turn, at the other end driving a sprocket wheel. There are many other kinds of coupling arrangements for coupling driving wheel or gear and a spaced driving wheel or gear and all such are included in this general reference to the background and field of the invention. Then, of course, there are positively gear coupled arrangements of a great many different specific types according to the specific usage for which the geared power transmission arrangement is intended. A common denominator for these general forms of such power transmission apparatus is the fact that the first-mentioned forms all require that the translatory or longitudinal link portion of the apparatus be continuous--that is, be connected throughout its length which is usually in the form of an endless loop, and, further, these forms all operate said longitudinal or translatory length intention for power transmission purposes which, of course, is the primary reason that the translatory link must be longitudinally connected and in most forms, comprise an endless loop. This somewhat limits the flexibility of design choice in setting up such power transmission arrangments because the endless loop has a finite size and length and coupled with the driving and driven wheels cannot be freely placed in any selected position for power transmission use without major modification thereof, or without purchasing a different size unit. These arguments pertaining to somewhat limited usage flexibility of such power transmission separations apply to an even greater extent with respect to any of the prior art multiple gear coupled power transmission arrangements. They have to be almost individually custom designed for each different individualized usage of such a power transmission system.
Another type of prior art power transmission apparatus for transmitting power between two longitudinally spaced power input and power output points has comprised an arrangement including a driving gear, a longitudinally spaced gear which is to be driven and an interconnecting longitudinal translatory member comprising a toothed rack with the rack teeth thereof engaged with respect to both the driving gear and the longitudinally spaced gear which is to be driven (both gears normally being pinion gears, spur gears, or the substantial equivalent.)
This prior art type of power transmission arrangement is capable of transmitting force between the driving and driven gears by way of the intervening longitudinal toothed rack, and does so in a compressional mode of operation, rather than in a tension mode of operation, as mentioned hereinbefore as comprising a major prior art form of such power transmission equipment. However, the toothed rack form just mentioned is not very adaptable to various different environmental or design conditions of use; in that, it is not suitable for transmitting force in a curvilinear manner, but is primarily only good for straight line transmission of the intervening translatory force, thus, severely limiting its usefulness.
It is clear that any improvement in such power transmission apparatus which would eliminate some of the prior art limitations mentioned immediately hereinbefore would be distinctly advantageous. This would be particularly so, if great flexibility of use could be provided so that the magnitude and direction of the translatory transmission of force between the power input and the power output gears, wheels, or sprockets can be made of virtually any desired length and of virtually any desired configuration, including various different curvatures or the like, and even capable of not being in the form of an endless loop, but having discrete ends open and separate from each other, (thus, overcoming all endless loop tension type systems disadvantages and the spacial non-curvature limitations of the rack system.) Such an arrangement would be distinctly advantageous from the standpoint of simplicity and flexibility of use coupled with simplicity of manufacture and the fact that the system could be easily installed (or easily modified for installation) in a great many power transmission arrangements and would comprise a highly-desirable improvement, because of both the enhanced simplicity and the enhanced flexibility of usage, coupled with other saliently obvious advantages. That is precisely the type of highly-desirable and advantageous improved driving linkage means or, in a preferred form, a drive tape system which is provided by and in the present invention, and which has all of the advantages mentioned above, together with others implicit in the novel aspects of the present invention, and which virtually completely overcomes most presently known prior art problems, disadvantages, and/or limitations, with all of said advantages of the present invention flowing from and occurring by reason of the specific features of the present invention pointed out hereinafter.